Together We Fall
by asterisms
Summary: Harry and Voldemort meet for the final battle; they both know that it will end here. Who will stand and who will fall as they walk the path that fate has chosen.


**Title:** Together We Fall

**Author: **bats-in-boots

**I don't own Harry Potter. **

**Summary:** Harry and Voldemort meet for the final battle; they both know that it will end here. Who will stand and who will fall as they walk the path that fate has chosen. Just a little idea of mine, I think it would've been cool to see. This is set after all the Horecruxes are destroyed, but you can use your imagination to guess how they got here.

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><p>Harry stared at the man across from him as they circled each other. Their steps were measured, neither one of them ahead or behind the other. They were equal, just as the prophecy said.<p>

Harry saw the man stop and begin to walk across the center, so he did the same. They came to a stop just four feet from each other. He looked up into the man's eyes and was surprised to see the hidden knowledge in the usually insane gaze.

"You are just as much a pawn as I," the man said as they stared into each other's eyes. Harry opened his mouth to deny it when the man continued. "Don't try to say otherwise. We both know it's true." Harry sighed and looked away.

He remembered the memories he and Dumbledore had watched together, the memories of a young boy who grew up to be a monster. The boy had been so smart and powerful, he'd had so much potential, only for him to fall into darkness.

"For what it's worth," Harry sighed, "I'm sorry." The man opened his mouth, most likely to reply with some acidic words, so Harry was surprised when a hand brought his chin up to stare into the man's eyes again.

"As am I Potter, as am I." They continued to stare at each other, both remembering their mistakes and triumphs before the man continued. "We are so alike, Potter. We could have been great."

Harry grabbed the man's hand that held his chin and pulled it away. "Yes," he replied, "we could've been. But now we'll never know." The man smiled sadly, before turning to walk further away. Harry did the same until they were at their circle again.

The man bowed to him, and Harry stared in shock before doing the same. He stood up straight to see the man watching him with a strange glint in his eyes. It seemed like forever before they lifted their wands.

Neither of them wanted to ruin the moment, for the first time in both of their lives, there was someone else who understood. It was shattered though, when two jets of light flashed through the air. One gold, the other silver, neither knew who had shot first, and neither cared enough to ask.

Soon they were both flinging spells at each other without thought. The only thing they cared about was winning, and they both refused to give up.

Harry just managed to dodge a wave of golden flames that shot towards him and conjured a stone lion that he sent charging towards his opponent. The man destroyed it with a flick of his wand and sent the pieces hurling back towards Harry.

He sent out a wave of water towards the man that caught the pieces and froze it as soon as it got to the man.

He took the seconds that the ice held the man to just bask in the feeling that their fight gave him. Adrenalin flowed through his veins like fire and he had never felt so free. Then the prison of ice shattered and they began again.

He let out a laugh of pure joy and was answered by another that shot a chill down his spine. He lost himself in the magic and soon the incantations were forgotten as he let the magic flow around him. The man across from him did the same and the colors flew and writhed around them.

To anyone else it would look like a dance as they wove and twisted around each other. Harry let out another helpless laugh and jumped over a blade of green light, sending a bolt of blue lightning back at the man.

He had never felt this alive before. Every breath and beat of his heart was perfectly in time with everything around him and the magic pulsed in time.

He twirled to avoid another blade of light, pulling it with him this time and letting it slip through his fingers back at the man.

He dove forward, wanting to see if the man would break their tempo, and was pleased to see his movements mirror his own. Every time he moved back, the other came forward, and when he ducked to the side, the man dove to the other.

Does everyone feel this when they duel? He wondered. He almost missed a wave of gold and green coming towards him and berated himself as he fell into step again. He didn't want their dance to end.

In retaliation he sent a silver and red burst at the man, and was surprised to see it take the form of an eagle. The bird shot towards the man who sent a dark blue bolt that formed a snake towards him.

The two creatures met in the middle and twisted around each other, morphing into one being that shattered in an array of colored sparks. The two paused to watch for a moment, and then continued their battle.

Neither of them made a mistake or missed a step and it was even more intense as the sparks danced above them in their own interpretation of the battle below. Harry allowed the magic to carry him as it wished and watched as the man across from him did the same.

Their eyes met again as they jumped towards each other; and both could see the spark of fire that was mirrored in their own. At the last moment they twisted away, causing their magic to spin around them and destroy everything it touched.

Harry pushed himself even harder when he landed and pulled the magic closer to him before sending it towards the man in a wave of colors and life. The man did the same, sending his own to meet the boy's for the last time.

The two waves of magic met in the middle and spun around in a never ending cycle of pushing and pulling. Then the magic was rebounded back to the casters and both gasped as one.

It was burning, there was so much pain. Harry screamed and the screams were echoed by the man's. They came crashing back to reality as the pain began to dull and both were left gasping for breath, staring up at the multicolored stars that floated above them.

Harry pulled himself up and fell to his knees as a spark of pain danced down his spine. He wanted so desperately to be lost again, but he couldn't work up the strength to reach his magic. It was so disappointing, he thought, to have the entire world at his fingertips, and to finally be free, only to be pulled back to earth.

He reached out and grabbed some of the sparks that floated around his head like fireflies. They warmed his hand and whispered to him of the same freedom that he had felt not so long ago.

He looked across the circle to see the man doing the same thing. He was shocked though, when he noticed that the man had changed. Gone was the scaly pale skin and nose-less face, and in its place was the body of a young Tom Riddle.

He smiled at the man and got a smile in return. Both of them stood, Harry letting the sparks slip from his grasp. They had given him the strength he needed to walk to the center of the circle.

They stopped when they were only inches away from each other and Harry studied the man-who-wasn't that stood across from him. He was younger now, with dark, messy hair so like his own and was shocked out of his thoughts when a hand grabbed his.

The man brought their hands up to Harry's forehead and Harry found himself surprised again to feel his scar gone. Their eyes met, green reflecting green, and both of them knew.

They really were alike, not only in magic but looks also. Both of them gasped in pain as they felt themselves fall, neither letting go of the other's hand. It felt as if his soul was being ripped from his body, and his magic followed as it flowed into the air around them. And as they began to fade, Harry heard the words being spoken, though if they were out loud or in his head he didn't know.

_Rest in peace. _

Neither of them knew who spoke, and neither of them cared to ask as the colors above them faded to black.

~oOoOo~

He woke to darkness again. There was nothing but Him and Himself, no light or colors like before. Just an empty, cold nothing. Then he saw something coming towards him, or was he moving towards it? It was white, and seemed to glow in the darkness that wasn't. As it came closer he smiled to see the owl from His memories. It was their first friend, coming to fetch them.

"Hello Hedwig," two voices spoke as one. "It's nice to see you again."

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><p><em>Divided we stand<em>

_Together we fall_


End file.
